This strawberry rhubarb galette is a beautiful and rustic dessert filled with sweet, jammy strawberries and tart, bright rhubarb, wrapped up in a buttery, flaky pie crust. It's everything you love about this classic spring pie in an easy-to-assemble free-form shape.
If you've never made a galette before, this is the perfect place to start. There's no need for intricate edges or shaping, and the rustic look is part of the charm. Once baked, the bubbling fruit and golden, sugary crust makes it feel just as special as any traditional dessert.
Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you have one of the best strawberry rhubarb desserts for spring and summer!
If you're looking for more ways to bake during rhubarb season, try these Rhubarb Bars, Rhubarb Crumble Cake, rhubarb muffins, rhubarb sorbet, and Cherry Rhubarb Pie.
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Why We Love It!
Classic flavor combination - Strawberry and rhubarb is a sweet, tart, nostalgic flavor combination used in late spring and early summer. The flavors pair perfectly with a buttery pie crust and taste delicious.
Easier than pie - These free-form, open-faced pies (aka galettes) don't have a top crust, aren't runny like other fruit pies, and are completed in half the time. It's one of the easiest ways to bake with fresh fruit any time of year. Be sure to try a peach almond galette in August!
Versatile - The strawberry rhubarb galettes can be made mini, as a full-sized galette, or made using store-bought pie dough or even a store-bought flaky puff pastry (like this apple galette).
Ingredients
- Flaky pie crust. This recipe uses an all-butter pie crust which gives the best flavor and flaky factor. This needs to be made at least two hours in advance.
- Strawberries and rhubarb. Look for the brightest rhubarb and strawberries you can find. This will produce the best color outcome.
- Lemon. A touch of lemon juice helps to balance the sweetness of the sugar and fruit.
- Cornstarch. This helps to thicken the fruit juices that release while baking!
- Coarse sugar. Demerara or turbinado sugar gets sprinkled on the crust edges before baking.
- Strawberry jam. To brush onto the fruit after baking. This helps provide a touch of extra flavor and a nice sheen, as the fruit dulls during baking and cooling.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use frozen fruit, allowing it to thaw in a colander for about 1 hour prior to using, and reduce any liquid on the stovetop.
- Add sliced almonds to the crust in addition to the turbinado sugar.
- Make the recipe as mini versions by cutting 6-inch diameter rounds from the pie dough.
- Add a streusel topping or crumb topping to the fruit before baking. Follow the crumb topping recipe from these Cinnamon Apple Crumble Muffins with Oats.
- Use puff pastry or rough puff pastry instead of pie crust for an even flakier version.
- Bake the strawberry rhubarb galettes with store-bought crust rather than making your own. See the "Testing Notes" section for more details!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Before beginning, make the all-butter pie crust and allow it to rest and hydrate in the fridge for at least two hours, or up to two days.
One: Mix together the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and salt and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
Two: Strain the juices into a pot, then reduce the juice until bubbling and coats the back of a spoon.
Three: Mix the drained fruit with cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla.
Four: Mound the fruit into the center of the pie crust, leaving about 2" around the edges.
Hot tip! Roll the pie crust to at least 12" in diameter and between ¼" and ⅛" thickness for best results.
Five: Fold up the sides in overlapping sections and gently press down to seal.
Six: Pour the reduced fruit juice into the center of the galette.
Seven: Brush the crust with egg wash, then sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Eight: Bake, cool, and brush with strawberry jam before slicing in!
Expert Tips
- Look for vibrant pink or red rhubarb stalks for a striking color on the final bake.
- Reduce the juices to ensure a fully baked filling and an extra punchy flavor.
- Mound the fruit in the center and leave a 2" border around the fruit filling to close the pastry. It will fall and spread as it bakes.
- Ensure the galette is very cold before baking.
- Start the pan in the bottom third of the oven for the first 15 minutes of baking to ensure a fully cooked crust.
- Brush the fruit with strawberry jam for a glossy, appealing finish.
P.S. If you have any leftover rhubarb, chop it up, freeze it on a sheet pan, then transfer to a zip top bag and you have frozen rhubarb for the rest of the year!
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Testing Notes
- I originally used 2 total cups of fruit, and it just wasn't nearly enough filling to offset the amount of crust (and was also incredibly flat). Four total cups yielded a fully baked bottom crust and enough fruit to feel satisfied with the balance.
- I did not test this with a store-bought crust, but I assume that you would need to reduce the amount of fruit to about 1.5 cups and sugar to ⅓ cup. Bake time would also decrease slightly.
- Reducing the fruit juice after macerating allowed me to use less cornstarch. It doesn't have that thick, gloopy texture as some pies do. It bakes up perfectly and uses a very small amount of thickener to ensure binding of any leftover juices that bake out.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Thaw it fully before baking and reduce the juices. Then, mix with ingredients and follow the baking instructions accordingly.
This is usually a cause of underbaking. I like to either start or end the bake (15 minutes) in the bottom third of the oven to ensure the bottom is fully baked. There could also be an excess of liquid from the fruit, which is why macerating and reduce the liquid is key.
This is from potential cracks in the crust, or the fruit juice bubbling out over the top. No big deal, it will still taste great!
Absolutely. Pies and galettes need time to cool and set up, so this is a great recipe to make ahead. You can re-crisp the galette in a 350℉ for 5-10 minutes before eating, if desired.
Storage
Room temperature - store loosely covered for 1 day.
Refrigerator - keep for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven for the best texture, as a butter crust will solidify in the fridge.
Freezer - freeze the baked galette for up to 2 months. Thaw and rewarm in the oven before serving.
More Strawberry Recipes You'll Love
What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
📖Recipe
Strawberry Rhubarb Galette
Equipment
- Food processor or pastry cutter
- Large baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 disc pie dough all-butter pie crust
- 2 cups fresh strawberries hulled & quartered
- 2 cups fresh rhubarb cut into ½" slices
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for the crust (demerera or turbinado)
- 2 tablespoons strawberry jam optional, for glaze
- vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- The pie crust needs to be made at least 2 hours in advance and refrigerated before beginning the galette assembly.1 disc pie dough
- Add the sliced strawberries and rhubarb into a bowl and toss with the sugar and salt. Set aside for 30 minutes.2 cups fresh strawberries, 2 cups fresh rhubarb, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add a strainer on top of a saucepan and pour the fruit (scraping all juices) into the strainer. Let all the juice drip through, then transfer the fruit back to the bowl.
- Reduce the juice over medium heat until sticky, bubbly, and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, add the cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla to the fruit and gently stir to combine.1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
- Roll out the pie crust until it's about ⅛"-¼" thick and at least 12" in diameter. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Add the fruit in a mound in the center of the pie crust, then fold the edges up in sections and gently press them to seal. Pour the reduced fruit juices over the fruit.
- Whisk the egg with about 1 teaspoon of water, then brush onto the pastry. Sprinkle on the coarse sugar, then place the pan in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.1 egg, 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
- While the galette is chilling, preheat the oven to 375℉. Once hot, bake the galette for 40-50 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the fruit starts to bubble.
- Tip: Place the pan in the bottom third of the oven for the first 15 minutes, then transfer it to the middle rack. This ensures the bottom is fully cooked.
- Allow the galette to cool to room temperature. Heat the strawberry jam, then brush it over the fruit to give it some sheen (optional, but a nice touch).2 tablespoons strawberry jam
- Top with vanilla ice cream for serving.vanilla ice cream
Mom says
Sweet but tart delicious little dessert. Perfect use for all those strawberries coming in now